Mud gtjjst



Patented May 4, 1926.

I MUD GUN.

Application led May 25, 1925.

To ZZ whom it 72103;/ concern:

Be it known that l, lnwiiv YN. louoiif, a citizen ot the United States ont merica, residing at `Woodward, in the county of Jeti'erson and State of Alabama7 have invented certain new and usetul improvements -in Mud Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mud guns for stopping the tapping holes or iron notches of blast 'furnaces and the like.

Mud guns ot the character in question, as heretofore c nstructed, have comprised a barrel having therein a close fitting plunger reciprocated by an air or steam cylinder and adapted to be retracted beyond a filling opening` tor the mud in order that the latter might be charged ahead ot the plunger and be rammed thereby into the furnace tapping hole to stop it. rlhis obviously will leave the iilling opening in the barrel in tree communication with the interior ot the 'iurnace for a part of the time during each charging operation, which is objectionable for many operating reasons, chiet'o'l' which is the necessity ot materially cutting down or shutting oli the blast -in the 'furnace to avoid blowing out through the mud gun.

rlhe object oi' my present invention is to design a mud gun in which the plunger will at all times positively cut oil communication between the filling opening ot the gun or the atmosphere and the interior ot the furnace. This is accomplished by providing the barrel, opposite the filling opening with any desired number of longitudinal grooves through which the plunger, as it is drawn outwardly, will force the charge of mud introduced behind it to by-pass the plunger and assume position ahead oli' it so that on the operating stroke of the plunger the mud will be rammed into the forward end ot the gun or into the tapping hole in the usual manner. ln all positions the plunger thus positively prevents any danger of the turnace blowing out through the mud gun barrel and makes it generally unnecessary to reduce the blast pressure.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which Fig. l is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through a complete mud gun.

Serial No. 32,861.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental crosssectional view through the grooved portion. of the gun barrel talren on the line 2-2 el" Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 is a. transverse cross-sectional. view taken on the line ot Fig. 2.

Similar reference numerals re'ier to similar parts throughoi'it the drawings.

ln the embodiment ot my invention illustrated, l show a mud gun having a barrel i., with a nozzle 2 adapted to enter the tapping hole o'l the furnace and having its outer end closed by a head 3 having a hole l through which the operating rod 5 for the plunger (i ot' the gun passes. The rod is operated by a piston 7 moving in a cylinder 8 and operated by any suitable fluid pressure in accordance with well understood practice.

The gun is provided near its outer end and in the upper portion thereof with a filling opening 9 through which the mud is charged into the barrel behind the plunger. rllhe lower halt section oit the outer end of the barrel is enlarged andl cast with a series of longitudinal grooves l() which at one end merge gradually into the forward cylindrical end of the barrel and at the other end 'll they slope up towards the gun barrel head 3 and have communication with a countersunk recess l2 therein. lt will be observed that the plunger stands normally in the forward end of the barrel and acts to plug or close same so as to intercept positively communication between the tapping hole ci' the furnace and the charging opening` in the mud gun barrel. rEhe barrel head has in its upper portion a downwardly inclined port 13 drilled and tapped therethrough and normally closed by a plug. By removing the plug this hole is adapted to receive a pipe for delivering a cleaning spray of water into the mud gun barrel to clean it out.

The mud is introduced with the plunger in this forward position and upon retraction of the plunger the mud is forced against the head 3 and caused to pass through the by-pass grooves and assume position in the barrel head of the plimger. It will be noted that the plunger, before exerting pressure on the mud will havevmoved into position to seal or close the opening 9 on all sides and that in this way it forces the mud, when compressed between it and the head 3, to escape only through the by-pass grooves which are just long enough tor the mud to pass therethrough Yinto position ahead of the plunger; When the plunger is thrust forward the mud will be driven into the tapping hole in the manner well understood. It will be seen that at all times the plunger forms a plug or valve which intercepts communication between the tapping hole and the charging hole 9ct the gun.

rllhough I have described with gr at particularityv thedetails oit the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that l am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

`Having thus described in v invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. fn a mud gun having at an intermediate point in its barrel a charging opening ifor mud, a reciprocable plunger adapted to seal said changing` opening, and a by-pass opening on onposite sides of said charging opening through which mud responsive to a movement of the plunger away from the discharge end of the gun is adapted to be moved into position in front orn the plunger, as and for the purposes described.

2. ln a mud gun having at an intermediate point in its barrel a charging opening `for mud and having its barrel opposite said Lesa-,91o

opening enlarged and provided with longitudinal oy-passes, and a reciprocable plunger of less length than said by-passes but wide enough to seal said charging opening and which is adapted in allwpositions to prevent free communication between the discharge end oi.2 the gun and its charging opening. l K

3. A mud Ygun of the character described comprising a barrel having a cylindrical bore in its discharge end and having its intake cnd enlarged and provided overhead witlf'a charging ol'i'ening and below with a- 'pluialit)7 oit. longitudinal by-pass grooves leading i'roin the outer end of the barrel to an intermediate point in the barrel beyond the charging,` opening, and a plunger less in length than the by-pass grooves and adapted at all times to prevent free communication between the discharge end of the gun and its charging opening.

4r. A mud gun in accordance with claim 3, in which the. grooves are arranged vhroughont the lower halt circle oi the barrel and at their outer ends slope upwardly and merge into a mud receiving chamber provided between the charging opening and a head closing the outer end of the barrel. En testimony whereof l aiiix my signa ture.

lDi/VlN W. BUNCAN. 

